Meet the Characters
The noblewoman
Francesca Bargellini
Francesca Bargellini is a noblewoman from the Bargellini family, she is the daughter of count Ovidio and has lived all her life in Bologna. She is a very reserved 22 years old who likes to read and enjoys participating in the ball organized by her parents.
The priest
Ottavio Venturi
Once a poor orphan, now a young priest admired by the Bologna clergy, Ottavio is a private teacher and is deeply interested in science and medicine. He is the private doctor of the head of the Bargellini family and is partecipating to the masquerade even if he doesn't seem happy about it.
The musician
Agata Landowska
Agata Landowska is an influential person, more passionate about listening to music-related gossip, than actually studying the harpsichord. Coming from a Jewish-polish family, her father is a lawyer and her mother a Language expert; her younger sister Wanda is a revolutionary musician who reverted the baroque trend of playing spinet so she felt in a competition.
The merchant
Ettore Balbi
Ettore Balbi is a merchant from one of the most influential venetian families. Thanks to his job he travelled a lot both in Italy and outside and has acquired lot of knowledge. Despite his young age, he is highly skilled and has a bright and flirty personality.
The inspiration for the character came from the portrait "Young man's head" by Giovanni Antonio Burrini, kept at museo Davia Bargellini
The puppeteer
Zehra
Zehra is a puppeteer, half Turkish, half venetian. She has lived in Venice and around Italy for her job, and she arrived in Bologna for the Bargellini ball. She is a woman of many talents and many secrets.
The artist
Roland Duroc
Roland Duroc is a famous portraitist, known for painting rich aristocrats in their salons. Coming from France, his father is an ambassador and his mother a sculptor. During his baptism, the Priest almost made him drown in the holy water, that’s why he is deeply scared of any Catholic figure. Roland defines himself as a supporter of the art of flânerie: Roland dedicates his life to art and art only, living with excess, he has expensive tastes: fancy red wine and flirting with noblewomen.